Recently, the publication Vanity Fair released its annual “New Hollywood” issue. The issue reined in quite a bit of controversy because it donned ten, lovely young actresses…ten, lovely all-white actresses. Not only did the cover overlook breakout actresses of color (such as Zoe Saldana or Gabourey Sidibe), but it was also enhanced (well, depending on your definition of enhancement) to make the white actresses appear “whiter”. On the cover, the women appear just short of porcelain and are depicted as the up-and-coming beauty of Hollywood. To me, Vanity Fair’s defense of “we’re sorry, but rich, famous people have busy schedules and it’s not our fault that this photo-shoot was only convenient for white actresses,” was as shallow as their choice for representation.
So, what does this have to do with Mexico? I have yet to see an advertisement here donning a dark-skinned woman, or man for that matter. In the advertisements here, and especially in communities of mostly dark-skinned people, I have noticed that the woman in the advertisements, for the most part, look European or like light-skinned Mexicans. I have yet to see an advertisement with a person who resembles somebody with indigenous blood. I’ve noticed this in the advertisements on my way to Lagunilla and I think about the little girls I work with. What is it like to see these images every day and how do they relate to them? Does it affect their self esteem? What do they see as beautiful in their society and are they included in that image? What would it be like to never see yourself in a position of what is glamorized to you as beautiful. I understand that this is not a new issue, but it’s sad to think how little progress has been made. Is the false idea of “the whiter the better” really that international? It’s like the Guns, Germs and Steel approach to media and advertising. I guess I just really hope that the beautiful, dark-skinned girls I know don’t give the awful Fanta soda ads next to the convenient store a second thought, and that their ideas of what beauty really is comes from somewhere beyond print.
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